If I had a dollar for every time I’m asked… In short, the American Orthodontics Association recommends a child’s first visit to the orthodontist by age 7. With early orthodontic intervention, you’ll have the best chance to give your child his/her best chance for a beautiful, healthy smile— as well as helping to prevent costly procedures in the future.

Here’s why:

–> Orthodontists can detect even the subtlest problems with your child’s jaw growth and emerging teeth (even when some baby teeth are still present), and take simple, proactive measures that can prevent more serious problems from developing as your child grows.

–> Even if your child’s teeth appear straight, his/her bite could be off, causing problems that are not readily evident.

–> Orthodontic intervention at a young age can result in a much shorter treatment time and less complicated (and expensive) measures later in life.

–> In certain cases, orthodontic treatment at a young age can achieve results that may not be available when the face and jaw has finished growing. That’s because an orthodontist can help:

improve the function and alignment of the bite

influence jaw growth

reduce the risk of trauma to protruded front teeth

correct harmful oral habits

–> The purpose of early “interceptive” treatment is also to help avoid future extractions of permanent teeth as we can better plan for space while the child is growing and all the permanent teeth have not yet come in.

–> Children with “bucked” teeth can often be socially ostracized. In addition, they are more susceptible to trauma if they fall – and if teeth are traumatized treatment is much more difficult to manage.

YOUR CHILD’S FIRST ORTHODONTIC VISIT IS FREE

That’s right. You have nothing to lose and a beautiful, healthy smile to gain throughout life by bringing your child (up to age 10) in for his or her free orthodontic check up with our compliments. While I recommend a child’s first orthodontic visit at about age 7, some children require even earlier intervention.

Eckstein and Yusupov Orthodontics is proud to serve children and adults of all ages. Schedule your child’s free initial consultation at the office most convenient for you. We have locations in Mill Basin, Brooklyn; Forest Hills and Rosedale, Queens; and Cedarhurst, Long Island.